Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-07-21
HERMANN EXPLAINED.
HOW A SHoWMAN'S CELEBRATED
TRICKS ARE PERFORMED.

Hermann then picked up pack Of cards
from the table and shuflled them, arrang-
ing the nine Of clubs, ten Of diamonds and
ace of hearts in the middle of the pack, so
that he would know their exact position
and could keep the third finger of his
right hand beneath them lie walked
down from the stage and presented the
pack, spread out back upward, to one of
the audience, requesting the gentleman TO
select n card. As the stranger reached
for a card, Hermann moved lie III cf
clubs toward him with his fingc., and the
stranger took it. Another person was
made to draw the ten of diamond, and
another the ace of hearts, in the ainc
way They looked at their cards and put
them back into the pack, which vas tacn
shutfled. The Snowman returned - the
stage and asked the three persons To name
their cards. They did so, and Il young
woman, dressed rs a page, then brought
from behind the scenes a sword The
blade OF the sword had been passed
through three similar cards, which were
concealed behind the hilt guard. a fine
elastic cord was attached to the point of
the sword, stretched and fastened To the
hilt. The three cards were made Cast to
the elastic The young woman took the
pack and tossed it toward Hermann, who
held the sword in his hand. AS she did
so, he thrust the sword toward the flying
pack and released the elastic from the hilt.
The nine of clubs, ten of diamonds and ace
of hearts at once appeared near the point
of the blade, as though pierced through
while flying.
Next, Hermann borrowed n handker-
chief from lady and gave it TO a young
man to hold between his hands. He car
ried wand under his arm. Taking the
wand out with his right hand, he also
took from little pocket under his arm a
small package of pieces of linen, which he
concealed in the palm of his right hand
He then said the young man in the audi
ence was not holding the handkerchief
right, and took it from him TO show him
how. He rubbed the handkerchief be-
tween his hands, palmed it, and gave
back the bits of cloth in its stead The
young man did not observe the change.
Again Hermann appeared dissatisfied, and
told the young man to hold the handler
chief up by a corner. The dupe opened
his hands, and the bits of cloth fell ont.
He picked them up and handed them to
Hermann, who put them between his own
hands, palmed them, and worked toward
the ends of his fingers n long strip of
CLOTH which he had concealed in his palm.
Then he shook out the strip, and said it
was composed of the pieces. This he
rolled up and palmed, and turning his
back to the audience to go back upon the
stage he put up all the bits of cloth
away under his coat and showed his
hands to be empty. Then he picked up u
lemon from which the pulp had been re-
moved, and inside of which handker
chief had been placed. He cut the lemon
nj M ba hun
spectators thought it was the one he had
borrowed, and they applauded. He put
the handkerchief on plate and poured
some alcohol upon it. The pretty young
woman set fire to the alcohol with
candle. Then he extinguished the fame
with a sheet of paper, in which he wrapped
the emhers. He went to table, rolled
the package with his hand into little well
and took up another paper containing an
ulscorched piece of cloth. He walked
down toward the audience pretended TO
toss the piece of cloth to lady with his
left and palmed it with his right hand,
which he dropped to his waist While the
spectators were looking at his left hand
he concealed the piece of cloth in pocket
just inside the edge of his coat He then
placed his wand under his left arm, and
took from the pocket there the original
borrowed handkerchief, concealing it in
his palm. Placing his hand at gentle
mans ear, he dropped the handkerchief
to the ends of his fingers, pretended to
take it out of the gentleman's ear and
handed it to the lady.
The performer borrowed n tall hat,
turned his back to the audience, put
handkerchief containing three eggs into
the hat as he turned to the stage. faced
about, and took first the handkerchief and
the eggs from the hat. The Pretty young
woman, with a short wand in her hand
went down the aisle and borrowed three
rings. Returning TO the stage, she slipped
three other rings upon the wand and
handed it to the Snowman, keeping the
three borrowed rings concealed in her
hands. She then went behind the scenes.
and tied the three rings TO ribbons hang
ing from the necks of three white doves,
and put the doves into the deep cover Of q
stew pan. The cover had n false bottom
held in place by spring. While she was
doing this Hermann let the three bogus
rings slide from the wand into stew
pan, broke the eggs and dropped them in,
poured in some alcohol and set fire TO it.
The pretty young woman brought ont the
cover and Hermann placed it on the pan.
He then released the false bottom, lifted
the cover, and showed the three doves
sitting on the pan with the borrowed rings
tied to their necks. He placed one of the
doves on the barrel of a pistol, and
fired his weapon. The dove was trained
not to move. He put the dove on a table,
covered it with a handkerchief, dropped
the bird through little trap, gathered
up the handkerchief as though the dove
were inside, wiggling his finger in the
handkerchief to simulate the flutterinc OF
the bird, and then smashed the handker-
chief between his hands very violently.
Ladies in the audience said, stOhr' The
Snowman shook the handkerchief ont By
the corners and showed that it was empty.
Hermann next got programme, rolled
1t up into the form Of a candy horn.
placing in it secretly compressed packet
Of cut paper flowers that Lc obtained from
the pocket under his left arm. Putting
his right hand into the horn ostensiblv to